Continental Mexico plant

Reliable Controls Authorized Dealer VIMAU Control Systems installed a new building automation system during construction of Continental Aguascalientes.

The number and types of third-party equipment in the Aguascalientes plant provided a unique challenge for VIMAU when it came to installing the building automation system. As a multivendor, multiprotocol integration solution for database, alarming, scheduling, trending, and sequence of operation programming, RC-Studio software provided the perfect platform to handle the complexities of this task. This easy-to-learn, easy-to-use BACnet Advanced Workstation allows facility managers to use a customized graphical user interface for monitoring and controlling any application they choose, and its real-time fault detection and diagnostic capabilities mean improved energy efficiencies and occupant comfort.

With RC-Archive software, facility stakeholders fully own and control their data and benefit from a robust, dependable record of performance thanks to continuously downloaded data logs. And RC-Reporter software extracts intelligence from that data and helps the organization discover actionable insights to even further improve operational efficiency. 

VIMAU installed three MACH-ProCom controllers to control large mechanical rooms and equipment. Each has extensive networking routing ability to multiple open protocols and highly scalable inputs and outputs—key for an installation like this with equipment from numerous third-party vendors. A MACH-ProWebCom controller gives facility managers access and control of the building automation system over the internet. This combination BACnet Building Controller, BACnet Operator Workstation, and web server can control hundreds of sensors and actuators using standard protocol networks.

“This project was a great challenge for VIMAU due to its complexity, since the customer was accustomed to industrial SCADA systems and the project required a high level of integration with third-party systems, combining several communication protocols such as Modbus TCP/IP, Modbus RTU, and BACnet,” said Javier Alavrez de la Cadena, director of VIMAU Control Systems. “Thanks to the functionality of Reliable Controls, and the great effort of the working team, this was a successful project that provided the customer with the building automation system they needed.” 

Reliable Controls and VIMAU were pleased to be part of this LEED Gold–certified project that will achieve dual goals of supplying the global market with electronic components for vehicles and promoting sustainability through building design in Aguascalientes for years to come.